This is a three day workshop for public sector workers and academics commissioning, managing or conducting evaluations of public policy or programs. This course will be of interest to those wishing to extend their skills in evaluation context.
This course is being held online via Zoom and run on Australian Eastern Daylight Time (UTC +11)
(Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne Daylight Savings time)
Please check your time zone.
This course will be run over 3 days in three sessions per day:
10.00am - 11.30pm - Sessions 1
12.00pm - 1.30pm - session 2
2.30pm - 4.00pm - Session 3
Dr Delwyn Goodrick is a psychologist who undertakes program evaluation and social research with a wide range of government and private sector clients. She is an experienced trainer having conducted a range of specialist workshops in research and program evaluation in Australia, Singapore, the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand. Most of Delwyn's work relates to health and education contexts. She maintains her own private consultancy practice and is currently working from New Zealand.
The course is structured to progress participants through the key stages of an evaluation.
Participants are exposed to key theories and approaches to evaluation, and then encouraged to consider the application of these approaches to their own work context.
Participants will be guided through negotiation and planing an evaluation, through to final reporting and dissemination of findings. Examples from published studies and the facilitator's applied practice in evaluation will be drawn apon to illustrate and reinforce key concepts.
Day 1
What is program evaluation? How does it differ from social research? Main points discussed include:
- The role of valuing in evaluation.
- Implications of the Commonwealth Evaluation Policy/ The Indigenous Evaluation Strategy
- Key Evaluation types and approaches.
- Key evaluation design considerations for different purposes.
- The roles of internal and external evaluation.
- Fostering the use and influence of evaluations.
- The roles of critical and participatory evaluation in evaluation with, for and by First Nations communities.
Day 2
Planning and designing an evaluation, and working with stakeholders. Main points discussed include:
- The role of program logic and program theory in evaluation
- What is program logic and when is it helpful? How is it different from investment logic?
- What skills do I need to facilitate a program logic mapping session?
- Getting from initiation to a final evaluation brief
- Designing an evaluation plan, and its key components.
- Importance of identifying evaluation scope and audience information needs.
- Budgeting for evaluations.
- Defining key evaluation questions (KEQs).
- Issues of attribution, contribution and causality.
Day 3
Supporting the use and influence of evaluation. Constructing evaluation reports. Discussion points include:
- Structuring the report.
- Considerations in generating valid and credible claims.
- The role of program evaluation standards and core competencies in evaluation.
- Disseminating evaluation findings and influencing their use.
- Building a culture of evaluative thinking in public sector agencies.
- The role of monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
This course will take place via Zoom. No particular software is required other than the Zoom download.
This course assumes a basic understanding of methods of data collection, including surveys, focus groups and other group methods, interviews, document analysis, and data retrieval for secondary data.
- Patton, M.Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation (4th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Torres, R.T., Preskill, H., and Piontek, M.E. (2005). Evaluation strategies for communicating and reporting: Enhancing learning in organizations (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Q: Are there any prerequisites for this course?
A: You should have a basic understanding of data collection – see recommended background.
Del gives a master class in program evaluation. so impressed with her breadth of knowledge and experience
The content was extremely practical and well delivered - I have been on other courses before on evaluation, and I have to say that Del is so far above and beyond the others - I wish I had of found her years ago!!! She made excellent points around the difference between social researcher and evaluation which were so beneficial for me. GOLD STAR!
I am in a research position but can see how evaluation skills and knowledge learned will help with interactions with different stakeholders in the research. It is also useful to know that evaluation is a viable career option and that I have the background to do it should I choose to go in that direction.
Complementing the high quality of the lectures, I very much appreciated being provided (by email, and across all five days) with a varied (and relevant) range of materials. Some of the materials were in direct response to specific questions asked during the lectures
I came looking for a really good grounding in program evaluation and the course gave me this. Wanted both theory and practice and got this. Excellent presenter!
Great balance of theory practical activities & opportunities to explore evaluation from the prospective your own projects.
Highly relevant to clients needs, a lot of the research we conduct informs service improvement and evaluation of client programs.
Its been really useful to learn about the profession more generally but also specifically to logic maps and have these related to evaluation framework. It has been invaluable to my job and Del was very knowledgeable.
A great opportunity to maneuver day to day work and provide tips, checklist, better process to design & evaluations.
Delwyn is a dynamic presenter with a wealth of subject knowledge. It was really useful that Delwyn was able to illustrate topics that we discussed with examples from her past work. Really enjoyed the course and learnt a lot about evaluation processes.
This have given me some clear theories for design my programs, understanding considering evaluations; Given me great insight into knowledge paradigms and productions.
The instructor's bound, book length course notes will serve as the course texts.
These will be sent to your 'shipping' address in advance of the course.
1. BOOKING - ACSPRI does not accept ‘expressions of interest’ for course places, i.e. all bookings, are considered firm, and a cancellation fee is charged if you cancel your booking after the early-bird date.
2. DISCOUNT RATE – The discounted rate for ACSPRI members is available to all staff and students of member organisations. To be eligible for this rate:
The course fee must be paid by either the member organisation or by you. Where fees are paid by a non-member organisation the non-member rate applies.
You must either have a valid email address issued by the member organisation; or you must hold, or have a right to hold, a current staff or student identity card from the member organisation.
In addition, to be eligible for a full time student discount the participant must:
Hold, or have a right to hold, a current student identity card from the member organisation;
Be enrolled as a full-time student;
Make payment in full with your application, arrange electronic funds transfer (EFT), or contact ACSPRI to advise credit card details for payment, by the early-bird closing date;
Provide ACSPRI with contact details of your supervisor, so we can request them to confirm your eligibility for the full time student rate.
The early bird rate applies to all bookings paid in full by the early bird close date, otherwise you will be charged at the standard rate.
3. REFUNDS & CANCELLATIONS - Course fees are not refundable unless:
we cancel the course in which you have enrolled; or
you cancel your enrolment before the early-bird closing date.
A cancellation fee of $250 will be charged if you cancel within the period from the early-bird closing date of and one week prior to the commencement of the program. The full course fee will be charged if you cancel within 1 week of the beginning of your course.
4. PRE-REQUISITES - Course descriptions specify course pre-requisites. You must undertake to meet the pre-requisites of the course(s) in which you enrol. If in any doubt, you should contact ACSPRI prior to enrolling.
Delivery of this course is online - via Zoom.
Please ensure you have the following:
- Reliable Internet connection with at least 5Gb per day of data available (i.e. a 5 day course will use about 25Gb of data just on the Zoom application)
- A computer/laptop with the Zoom application installed (free)
- A webcam (built in to most laptops)
- A headset with a microphone (not required but ideal)
- A second monitor/screen if possible
Please also check the course page for specific software requirements (if any).